Spinal Cast

“Dad, I can’t feel my toes.”

Learning you are paralyzed isn’t just an adjustment for the injured individual, it’s an adjustment for the entire family. This episode of Spinal Cast shares the story of a family living in Milbank, South Dakota finding a new normal after their beloved daughter/sister, Becky is injured in a car accident. Three sisters; Becky, Bernadette and Bridget, all teenagers at the time, discuss the ripple effect the...

The definition of the word “determined” is missing something, it’s Mike Utley. Thirty-two years after an NFL career ending spinal cord injury Mike continues to motivate and advocate for those living with paralysis. He is one of those individuals who deals with adversity better than most and has an irrepressible outlook on life. This episode of Spinal Cast covers his injury, recovery, and personal journey living with paralysis. Next...

A tour de force, a dynamic duo, a powerful pair … somehow these phrases are not adequate when describing the incredible work of Dr. Grégoire Courtine and Dr. Jocelyn Bloch. Their remarkable discoveries in the field of spinal cord injury are bringing treatments to the forefront - using a brain-spine interface to facilitate movement for those living with paralysis. With the help of their dedicated team of scientists, what we once hop...

This episode of Spinal Cast features the extraordinary world of emergency services and two heroes who save lives every day. Dr. Gregg Jones and Dr. Aaron Robinson are EMS Physicians with Hennepin County Emergency Medical Services. They share valuable insights into their challenging field of work and discuss the causes of many critical calls, including those that result in spinal cord injury. Learn some life-savings tips and discove...

Today we welcome the one and only Dr. Brooke Ellison to the podcast!

In September 1990 Brooke was hit by a car on her way home from school. She was 11 years old. The accident left her paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator. In 2000, ten years after her accident, she graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University. She gave a commencement address which was covered extensively by media outlets around the world, i...

Meet Wendy Crawford – she’s working for equal and accessible healthcare for women with disabilities and she’s doing it with a unique medium - the arts.

Wendy was injured while driving to the airport for her first international modeling contract at the age of 19. Struck by a drunk driver she was rendered quadriplegic. Growing into womanhood with a disability, Wendy noticed a lack of available information for women with disabilities. ...

We are honored to have Dr. Jennifer Morgan joining us for today’s episode! Dr. Morgan is a Senior Scientist and Director of the Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, MA.

She received her Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Duke University, where she worked on mechanisms of neurotransmission. She then carried out her postdoctoral studies on membrane traffi...

In today's episode we sit down with Matthew Rodreick, Executive Director of Unite 2 Fight Paralysis (U2FP).

Matthew became an advocate and activist on behalf of the SCI community after his son became quadriplegic from a spinal cord injury in 2008. With a background in healthcare management and community organizing his skills were instrumental in passing the SCI/TBI Research Grant Program in 2015. That success led to establishing and...

In this episode we sit down with the inspiring, Bryon Riesch!

In 1998, as a college freshman, Bryon Riesch suffered a severe spinal cord injury which left him paralyzed from the chest down with very limited use of his arms. Despite his injury, he graduated from Marquette University in 2002. He currently is part owner of R&R Insurance, where his responsibilities include investigating and implementing new ideas and technologies.

He...

Today we welcome the incredible duo of Jenni & Lori Taylor to the podcast!

Due to a car accident on November 1, 2002, Jenni experienced a C-1/C-2 spinal cord injury. She is paralyzed from the neck down and breathes using a ventilator. Despite her disability, Jenni is incredibly positive and believes that all things happen for a reason. Following the accident, Jenni created a blog to update people on her life and hopefully help o...

We are excited to present Part 2 of our conversation with the joyful and enthusiastic, Tiffiny Carlson!

Tiffiny Carlson is a C6 quadriplegic from Minnesota. She was injured in a diving accident in 1993 at 14 years old. Helping others with spinal cord injuries has been her passion since her accident. She began mentoring other women with SCI in 1996 while in high school, then became a disability writer while attending Augsburg College...

In today’s episode we are joined by the incredibly talented and enthusiastic Tiffiny Carlson!

Tiffiny Carlson is a C6 quadriplegic from Minnesota. She was injured in a diving accident in 1993 at 14 years old. Helping others with spinal cord injuries has been her passion since her accident. She began mentoring other women with SCI in 1996 while in high school, then became a disability writer while attending Augsburg College, graduati...

We proudly present Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Ann Parr from the University of Minnesota!

Dr. Parr received both her undergraduate degree and medical degree from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. She then completed her PhD studies in neural stem cell transplantation for spinal cord injury during neurosurgical residency at the University of Toronto. During this time she was affiliated with the Institute of Medical Scienc...

In this episode, we interview Dr. Ann Parr from the University of Minnesota!

Dr. Parr received both her undergraduate degree and medical degree from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. She then completed her PhD studies in neural stem cell transplantation for spinal cord injury during neurosurgical residency at the University of Toronto. During this time she was affiliated with the Institute of Medical Science and the Clinical In...